CLAYTON BANKS
Demystifying Technology
CLAYTON BANKS, President and CEO of Silicon Harlem, jokingly refers to himself as “a geek,” but he’s much too cool for that – so we will go with “techie”. The mission of his organization is to simply demystify technology for people of color and transform Harlem and other urban markets into Innovative Technology Hubs.
“Since the very beginning, in 2013, Assemblywoman Inez Dickens and Congressman Charles Rangel were a great help – and they still support us,” shared Banks. Not only did the coronavirus shut down the schools, but it also brought an end to the City’s summer youth programs. In the midst of this horrific virus, Silicon Harlem decided to continue its summer youth employment program, and once the word spread, the organization was overextended with 90 students as opposed to its usual 40-50 students.
“We are always happy to have more students than less. Helping young minds is always fun,” says Banks. In an effort to assist young students who lacked access to computers or the means to purchase one during the pandemic, Silicon Harlem purchased and donated over 150 chrome books for students and provided hotspots in the community. The hotspots were great for young people in the community, as well as their parents, who had computers but no Wi-Fi service. In a partnership with the City, they will begin paying the fee for hotspot service in October.
“The tech sector is thriving. Exposure and access are key,” said Banks. “Teaching young people applications, how to code and work in teams is another component to Black Lives Matter, which is staying aware and being ahead of the curve.”
